Balance support



May 10, 1932. w. L. CLARK 1,857,623

BALANCE SUPPORT Filed March l2. 1930 Patented May 10, 1932 'Y CLARK@ ommsmowm NEW-ibex# BALANCELSUPPORT Appneatinm mami/.farmi 12; 1930;- seriar -4; ;5,1aa.1y

This invention relates fto Aan i1'nprj'ovenientA iii-balance supports forcjcabinet lids or tops.;

yPrior t this invention-:inflevic'esfof thisg' character .the `fr )r'actise has been )to providecontrolled lbygfincreased or decreased' tensioneof, afspring, attached to an arml which in'turn was l linked fwith said top; f Variousfmethodshave also been-'employed by Whiclito increase IU ondecreas'ethe initial spring@` tension-` to acla-ptfthe support for u 'se Withftops (lf-varyingfqweightf InE practice fit `'has been found 'l that; any .;.one type of spring colildnot loe 'si-1c-` ;-l fcessu-llfy adj nsted' .to control the raising fandf l5 lovveririgy;` of* varyingV Weights 1 and it Was-S therefore necessary, :be-fore fins-tallationyfto ascertainv with gwhatwweight top-` the device* was to'be used in order tofprovide a sprii1gf1h g ofe appropriate initial-tension.

l5 cabinettopwvith which itis-fj oinedr Theqprinoip al-ob3ect ofjtlisl inventionifis to-l provide a balance support capabley ofcon`-Y trolling; thefraising ancl-` lowering.' fof cabinet nglidsfof practicallyallfsizs and Weightsix;

this l class having :braking-,rameans 'capable of automatically :increasingwith theincreasel in weight o: the' cabinet Atop sfvvith` Whichi'itris: f

withs 'a Lcabi-'net top;

il? Omer' marianne-r Objekts effthslinventn will appear from'afconsicleration of" the fli lowing specification which is "taken inf'conjuritipni v vi'tliftlie Yacoomp j drawings',`

ven''lQI' iii position' of inse; l,

Fiigg'is' a side elevation .ofthe .balancesupf.A port sliowin'gthe cahin'et'llidin open position; l

50 Figs.' '3 A and 4 show "dierent positions of t lneitsp r'eierred.l embod'ment. this --inven. tgfdiscloses'a balance support; the control-,- ot-which' isfhad throughf fa loralre1'nechan smf,' the l actionvof :which isi directly f proportional r' nto F#the increased for; decreased rweightloffthe fi Figi' lfisa agnentarj front'eleva'tion oil-aiv cabinet showingne modification Vof? this: inL

filgrastim topline balances'uppgpfentre Y for;

Fig. 5 showsthe topcoinpletelylclose'd vv-ith'. the balance mechanismvmovedlpast centerto-f hold the top in this position-5,' 55 Fig. 6 is `anenlarlged partiallybrolenavvayr' view. of the balancewsupport,-showing,-they. brakestrlicture.in'engaged position (fdotted line) .releasedpositiong and Y i Fig; v7 is a Sectio f alfvewt taken substantialll ly on the line 7-7 ofFigure 41 v Referringeitozthe f'dravvng-.this invention is shoWnQ-Inountedlfor.use ina-cabinet gens;

erallygindicated K-thef'reference-'-nunieral'l();f

A lid orftop; *'11l is hingedlya joinedfgto s thef cabinet'and hasfseciredthereto,byyscrefws 13;;'1 .a .bracket-:14, havingmaf depending@flanged5:V

joinedfto a,balancesupport'generally 'fdesigrfm `natedflovpthenumeral19; f Y- Ini.;calo'inetrvlO 's -f-locate'df'a horizontalfifj rail 20, through' -Whichi-anfelongated fverti'cal@ v to the Wilsteritheislpt-,QQQley-:germs .125iIl A@ slotf24c `isfornled ainethe flange 23,2' ntliepmpo'seff ofy which is to: (permit vertical f movement 'tion' 12'@ Two vdiametricallywopposirte rdrilledf l 85,

and :tapped openingsff28aremaderinrtlfe poirtion .27J and niountedfcentrallylthereoffis, an annular dise :29T-.1 A coverr 30, rco'nceritric'ally'r mounted on the disc 29, is anchoreclsthi'longh'? I said-'ldisc to theporftionQRbygmeansoff-screws 9" Y element-532,? adjacentfitswfreeendjis form I with two spac d upstandingVianges-SQ and 40. Aligned openings 4l are formed in the flanges 39 and 40 through which an adjusting screw 43 is passed. Between the iianges 39 and 40, and in threaded engagement with the screw`43, is a plate having an opening 46 adjacent'the threaded opening. A

' spring 48 is connected at one end to the plate 45 through the opening 46l and at the other end to a notched 'lug 49 formed on Vone edge of the arm 26. When the spring48 is thus mounted, the tensionthereof tends to draw the plate 45 and screw 43 toward the flange 39, this movement being limited by contactV of the head of the screw with the flange 40.

Attention is directed-tothe fact vthat thev To assemble and install la device of this type, the following steps are to be observed. The disc 29 and cover'30 are secured to the portionv 27 of the arm 26 by means of screws 3l. L The'brake elements 32 andV 33 are joined at their pivoted ends .34 by means of the pivot, pin 56. These elements may then be brought into engagement 'with and made to encircle the disc 29, being partially covered on one face by the` portion 27 and on the other by the cover 30.r The finger 53 of the brake element 33 may now be snapped into engagement with the element 32', thus preventing disengagement of said elements-from the army 26. The --spring 48 -is connected with the plate 45 and lug=49, as av result of which, portion 36 of the'brake elementl 33 ismoved to a position substantially as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The link 17 is engaged with the pin 37, the other end being passed through the slot 242in the flange 23. The device is now-.ready to be installed inthecabinet-lO. The opening orslot 22 in the rail 20 permits the securing of the support thereto withthe Y ment 32 isi-connected with lthe spring 48,f

entire structure extending beneath said rail. The linkl 17',.at1its upper end, is connected with the bracket 1'4 which is suitably located inthelid'or top 11.

- The balance support y19,l as shown in Figure2. is in released position, the lid 11 being raised.` As thelid is lowered (seeFigures 3 and 4)'the link 17 causes the free ends of the brake elementy 32 and .33 to movev downwardly a and the whole of said brake Vstructure to `ro tate "about the disc 29. l Sincethe brake eledownWardY-m'ovement thereof elongates the 1 spring 48 greatly 'increasing its tension. Itl

is pointed out that downward movement of the lid l1 exerts a downward pressure on the brake element 33, whereas at the same time, an upward pull is exerted by the spring 48 upon the brake element 32. The application of oppositely directed forces on the brake elements cause said elements to closely engage the disc 29. It will be understood that the downward movement of thebrake element 33 is not checked through the action of the spring 48 but by reason of the fact that the Y opposed forces' applied to said elements create aclamp-like grip on the disc 29. When the lid has been lowered to within approximately one half inch ofits closed position, the spring 48 lies directly. over the center of the disc 29 and in this position releases the clampjng action of the brake elements upon said isc.

lid causes the brake element 32 to'travel pastV Further downwardy movement of the center and the spring 48 now exerts .an upward pull on said element and av downward pull on the element 33. The lidll is thus drawn into and remains in closed position under tension of the elongated spring.

Inasmuch as the 'spring y48 controlstheY clamping action of the brake elements, in-

creasing saidspring tension causes a corre-v sponding increase 1n clamping force applied to the discl 29 bythe brake elements. To increase the initial spring tension, the screw43v is rotated inV a clock-wise direction causing the plate 45, with which one end of the spring is connected, to be elongated.

Applicant, inthe foregoing, has disclosed a balance support for'cabi'n'et lids or tops f which at all times and under all conditions f prevents violentor improper manipulation of the cabinet lid and althoughbut one modilisation of this device is shown and described,

-it is not intended that he be limited in the scope thereof other than asset forth inV thehereunto annexed claims. Y

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim .as new and for which I'y'desire pro tection by Letters Patent is:

l. In a' cabinet 'having a hinged lid theref for, a balance support comprising a member fiXed to said cabinet, pivotally joined rotatable elements mounted on said member, fa

link connecting one. ofsaid elements withsaid lid, tension means connecting thek other, ofv

said` elements with said member. andA friction meansadapted to resist the action'of said tension means according tothe position of said lid relative to said cabinet. Y y

2. ln a cabinet having a hinged lid for, a balance support comprising av member 1 fixed to said cabinet, pivotally joinedrotat-,f Vablefelements .mounted on said'.niember,` a`l 'spring connecting one of said elements with said member, a link connecting the other off,I said elements with said lid, adjustable means controlling the initial tension of said sprin friction means adapted to resist lthe ac- 13f tion of said spring according to the position of said lid relative to said cabinet.

3. In a balance support for a hinged cabinet lid, a supported member, a disc on said member, a pair of elements having curved inner edges frictionally engageable with said disc, means limiting the relative movement of said elements and tension means connected with one of said elements, and said member, said tension means being adapted, when said elements are rotated about said disc, to

vary the pressure of said elements on said n disc.

4. In a balance support for a hinged cabinet lid, a pair of pivotally joined movable elements, means limiting the pivotal relative movement of said elements, and a disc engaged with varyingforce by said elements during rotation thereabout.

5. In a balance support, a supporting member, a disc secured to said member, relatively movable means rotatably engaged with the peripheral edge of said disc and spring means adapted to vary the pressure engagement of said movable means as applied to said disc when said means is rotated relative thereto.

y 6. A balance support Jfor a cabinet lid comprising a supporting member, pivotally joined brake elements mounted on said membei", a spring connecting one of said elements with said member, a link connecting the other increase their'frictional engagement on said means when said lid moves or tends to move downwardly to closed position.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixe'd my fwYcLIrFE L. CLARK.

signature.

of said elements with said lid and means permitting limited relative movement of said elements.

V7. A balance support for a cabinet lid comprising a supporting member, pivotally joined brake elements, adisc secured to said member and pivotally supporting said brake elements, a spring connecting one of said elements with said member and adapted to vary the pivotal freedom of said elements relative to said supporting member, and means connecting the other of said elements with said lid whereby said lid is at all times in balance.

8. A balance support for a hinged cabinet lid comprising a stationary member, eccentric means frictionally engaged with said member and a spring connecting remote por- V tions of said member and said means, said whereby to alter the variable rictional en- Y gagement of said rotatable means with said member during rotation.

l0. In a balance support for a hinged cabii net lid, a pair of pivotally connected brake 

